The Explorer - Hardcover

James Smythe

3.35

1,925 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0007456751 ISBN 13: 9780007456758

Publisher: Harper Voyager, 2012

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A tense, claustrophobic and gripping science fiction thriller from the author of The Testimony. When journalist Cormac Easton is selected to document the first manned mission into deep space, he dreams of securing his place in history as one of humanity's great explorers. But in space, nothing goes according to plan. The crew wake from hypersleep to discover their captain dead in his allegedly fail-proof safety pod. They mourn, and Cormac sends a beautifully written eulogy back to Earth. The word from ground control is unequivocal: no matter what happens, the mission must continue. But as the body count begins to rise, Cormac finds himself alone and spiralling towards his own inevitable death ...unless he can do something to stop it.

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About the Author:

James Smythe is the winner of the Wales Fiction Book of the Year 2013 and shortlisted nominee for the Arthur C. Clarke Award 2014. He is the author of the Anomaly Quartet which includes The Explorer and The Echo. James currently lives in London and teaches creative writing. Twitter @jpsmythe

From Booklist:

They probably dreamed up the phrase niche book for novels like this one. More than a little mind-bending, it tells the story of Cormac, a journalist-astronaut who’s part of humankind’s first manned deep-space expedition. As related by Cormac, when it came time for the cryosleeping astronauts to awaken, they soon died, one by one, for various reasons (faulty space suit, heart attack, etc.). And then the story appears to reset, going back to the beginning, with the crew waking up again; only now, Cormac is an observer, hidden from view, watching events unfold as he has just related them to us. Eventually, Cormac becomes a third-person character in his own first-person story, and by this time, sf fans have either given up in confusion or become glued to their seats. Like Moon, Duncan Jones’ recent film, the story straddles the line between reality and fantasy, but where Jones had visuals to tell his story, Smythe does it entirely with words, calling on us to supply the visuals in our own minds. A challenging and stimulating read. --David Pitt

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